(A/N: I do not own Paw Patrol, enjoy!)
The More You Dream
The next morning, once again Marshall and Cinder met Gizmo at the doors of the Lookout. Gizmo briefly asked Marshall about the fire where Cinder got hurt, but he didn't have much more to clarify; it was just something that they did on instinct. Once again, the drive to Gizmo's cabin took about fifteen minutes. This was not lost on Cinder as they follow the Black Lab into the lab again.
"Alright," Gizmo began as they entered the testing room again, "the first test I'd like to run today is an impedance test. You're going to try using telepathy with different types of physical barriers between you two. Cinder, you'll stay in this room. Marshall will step through that doorway and enter that room." Gizmo indicated the open doorway to their left. Through it they could see a small, empty room that looked like all the other rooms in the building. "Once Marshall is through, I'll close the door. You two will be separated by this wall. Marshall, there's a speaker and microphone on your end that we'll use for communication purposes. We'll be able to talk to each other the entire time as if you were in this room. When I tell you to, I want you to talk to Cinder. After ten seconds, I'll give you another signal, and I'll tell Cinder to talk to you. After ten seconds, I'll open the door on your left. You'll step through and the test will repeat. After three rooms, I'll open all the doors and the test will be over. If anything happens, Marshall can push the red button which will immediately open all the doors and end the test."
"But… what's the point?" Cinder softly asked.
"What do you mean?" Gizmo asked for clarification, tilting his head to the side.
"You told us yesterday that you couldn't detect us talking to each other. How will you measure any difference?" Cinder softly recounted.
"Well, that's the main scientific problem, but it can't be helped. You'll just have to tell me between the trials what differences you observe," Gizmo replied with a shrug. "Since I can't measure this, your observations are important."
"But we've already told you that having walls between us doesn't make any difference," Marshall reminded him.
"I know. But I still want to run this test," Gizmo replied. "It's important to establish a baseline for all variables, even if we already know they don't affect anything. Sometimes during these tests, we find out that what we 'knew' was wrong all along."
"Alright, if you say so," Marshall replied.
"Ok then. Marshall, please step into this room," Gizmo requested with a wave of his paw.
Marshall stepped into the room, flashing Cinder a confident smile as Gizmo closed the door. "Can you hear me, Marshall?" Gizmo asked.
"Yes, just fine," Marshall's voice replied, coming through an unseen speaker.
"Good, we'll check each room as we go," Gizmo said. "Ok, go ahead and start the silence."
Cinder felt the silent python wrap itself around her neck again. She didn't know why, but this enforced silence bothered her more than anything ever had before. It didn't get better with time or the more times she did it. If anything, it got worse.
"Go ahead Marshall," Gizmo declared.
Are you doing ok over there? Marshall's thoughts echoed in her head. I know you can't reply yet, but I hope you are. Just think of it like going about your day normally when we aren't talking.
"Your turn Cinder," Gizmo directed.
No, it's not any better, Cinder whined back. If anything, it is worse because I can't see you. As soon as Gizmo says we can't talk, that is all I want to do. Like when we were puppies and mom and dad would tell us not to do something and the first thing we did was to go do exactly that.
"Ok, on a scale of one to ten, how clear was that?" Gizmo asked once the ten seconds were over.
"Ten," Marshall replied.
"Ten," Cinder softly replied.
"Ok, perfect baseline," Gizmo noted. "Cinder, how are you doing?"
There it is again, Cinder noted. He didn't ask me that in my dream.
Maybe he noticed your heart rate again? Marshall suggested. Or maybe you're looking tense again?
Maybe… Cinder admitted.
"We can stop if you need to," Gizmo cut in.
"No, I'm fine," Cinder shot back, snapping herself out of their thoughts.
"If you're sure," the Labrador conceded. "Marshall, go ahead through the next door and let us know when you're ready."
"Ready," Marshall said after a moment.
"Ok, silence please," Gizmo requested.
Cinder tried not to think about being able to share her thoughts. She tried distracting herself by looking at her nails and how badly she needed a trim. But she still felt the tightness in her throat, not quite as bad, but still there.
"Go ahead Marshall," Gizmo said.
Did that help at all? Marshall's thought immediately echoed in her head. I remember every time that happened, mom or dad had to race to get there before us because they knew we would go do it.
Almost as soon as Marshall stopped, Gizmo looked at Cinder. "Go ahead Cinder."
My nails need a trim, Cinder thought back. Distracting myself with that helped for maybe a second and a half. Then I wanted to tell you about it. Not because I normally would, but just because I couldn't.
"Ok, how was the clarity that time?" Gizmo asked.
"Ten," Marshall replied.
"Still ten," Cinder softly said.
"Ok, good," Gizmo commented. "Cinder, are you still good?"
"Yes," the Dalmatian softly responded.
"Alright," the black dog nodded. "Marshall, next room. Let us know when you're ready."
"I told you this was pointless," Marshall sighed as he walked between the rooms. "Ready."
"Ok, silence please," Gizmo said.
Cinder tried focusing on breathing slowly and evenly, reflecting on how Marshall was only a couple rooms away and she could stop this at any point. She still felt the constriction.
"Go ahead Marshall," Gizmo requested.
Is it the same? Marshall's question echoed in her head, but now noticeably quieter. I'm not changing anything about how I'm sharing my thoughts, so if I'm quieter, you know what happens next. Focus on acting panicked so that you don't actually panic.
"Go ahead Cinder," Gizmo directed.
Marshall, Cinder thought worriedly, you are quieter. I'll try that and hopefully it works.
"Ok, how was the clarity that time?" Gizmo asked.
"Ten for clarity," Marshall said.
"But it wasn't as…" Cinder paused as she struggled to find the right word. "Volume isn't the right word," Cinder softly continued, "but it is the closest thing I have. It was maybe half to two-thirds as loud. I could still understand it, but it was like he was far away."
"Interesting observation," Gizmo mused thoughtfully. He lowered the visor on his helmet briefly, as if looking at a note. Then he raised it again and looked at Cinder. Then he paused. Cinder could almost hear the gears churning in his head as he contemplated something. Finally, he spoke. "Alright, thanks for taking part in this test."
"Huh…?" Cinder gasped. "It's over?"
"But we still have one more room to go," Marshall responded through the speaker, just as confused as Cinder was.
"I'm ending the test early. There's no need to continue, and I don't want to take any unnecessary risks," Gizmo remarked. "Above any test, your health and well-being are my priority."
Cinder's eyes widened as she heard him say that. Gizmo's attitude seemed to be so different from what she remembered in her dream. Either he genuinely cared about her well-being, or… Cinder's eyes narrowed. "If you're doing this for me, then forget it."
"What do you mean?" he questioned.
"I'm not some 'fragile female' who can't mentally take whatever might happen after this next test! If you really think I'm that unstable, then you need to think again. I don't care what happens. We're doing this test. Do you understand?" Cinder declared, her resolve obvious.
"And to be clear, you're fine with this, even if it means you won't be able to hear him?" Gizmo asked. His voice carried a note of caution.
"Absolutely" the female Dalmatian softly declared. There was no mistaking the fiery determination in her eyes either.
"Alright, Marshall. Go ahead."
Really? You're sure? the firefighter asked his sister before he stepped to the other room.
No Cinder thought to Marshall. But I know I need to see what happens. And besides, I know what to do if I don't hear anything.
Okay, Marshall agreed. "Let's get this over with," he said out loud as he stepped into the last room.
"Ok, silence please," Gizmo requested.
There was no stopping the tightness this time, it felt like an anaconda wrapped around her throat. She could almost feel its hungry eyes boring into her soul as its tongue flicked across her, ready to devour her. Knowing it was coming did not help at all.
After an eternity, Gizmo spoke. "Go ahead Marshall," he said.
The silence remained.
MARSHALL! Cinder mentally screamed as loud as she could.
Silence answered her. Exactly like in the dream. Knowing this was going to happen hadn't helped. Gizmo's warning hadn't helped. Cinder's breath caught in her throat; she could no longer breathe.
Immediately the doors opened, and the Dalmatians bounded towards each other. "What's wrong Sis?" Marshall questioned as he wrapped his rapidly panting twin in his paws as tight as he could.
"Her heart rate got too fast, so I killed the test." Gizmo remarked as he took off his helmet, his voice full of concern.
"I couldn't breathe," Cinder softly panted, squeezing Marshall back as hard as she could to prove that he was actually there. "I couldn't hear you. I called for you and I couldn't hear you."
"We're done for the day," Marshall declared as he helped Cinder to walk back through the doors. She was trembling almost uncontrollably, and Marshall had to actually guide her paws himself.
"I'm sorry it happened, but I tried my best," the black Lab said meekly as they walked past him.
"You did, and we appreciate that," Marshall admitted as he gave Gizmo a nod of affirmation. Then they walked out the door.
Outside, Marshall helped Cinder climb into his truck before hopping up himself. He started his truck and drove back towards the Lookout. Good acting, he complimented his twin, I couldn't tell that it was an act.
It wasn't an act Cinder mentally whined, turning and burying her nose in Marshall's fur. I knew it was coming. I knew exactly how it would feel. Gizmo even warned me, and I still had the exact same reaction. Tears of frustration started falling down Cinder's muzzle.
Shhh, it's ok Marshall thought as he stopped and pulled off on the side of the road. As soon as he was stopped and his truck parked, he turned and wrapped his paws around his sobbing twin.
I don't want to lose you Cinder thought desperately. Not now, not ever.
And you won't, sis, Marshall though back determinedly. Not now, not ever.
You can't promise that; none of us can promise the future, Cinder accusingly reminded him.
Maybe not, Marshall admitted, and commitment to saving others notwithstanding, I will do everything in my power to keep that promise.
I know you will Cinder tearfully conceded. She squeezed Marshall tighter. Nothing more was actively thought between them, but Cinder could still feel the undercurrent on Marshall's mind. And while she could see and taste the sincerity of his promise, she could also see something lurking that could destroy it forever. Something amazingly wonderful, but at the same time utterly terrifying.
Back at his lab, Gizmo sighed as he walked out through a different door than the one the twins had used. Grabbing his pup pack and pup tag from a well-concealed box, the Labrador started making his way towards the Lookout. Frowning in concentration, he replayed the events of the second test in his head like a simulation, scrutinizing every detail. He was so lost in thought, that he almost walked directly into another pair of Dalmatians who were there waiting for them.
"I thought you said you were going to stop her from having a mental breakdown!" Auburn nearly shouted at him, shattering his thoughts.
"That was the plan, yes," Gizmo replied tersely.
"So why did you just let them continue the test?" Auburn pressed angrily.
"Were you even watching the feed from my collar? If I had resisted any more, it would have been too suspicious. It was bad enough as it was," Gizmo countered.
"Well at least it was still better than last time," Marshall pointed out hopefully.
"Anything would have been better than last time," the Lab huffed.
"I guess so…" Marshall conceded in defeat.
"If you'll excuse me, I've got to go memorize my 'lines' for tomorrow," Gizmo stated as he walked around the duo.
"Wait! Before you go, how were the results of the test?" Marshall called after him.
Slowly Gizmo turned around. At the mention of the test, the corners of his mouth betrayed a hint of a genuine smile. "Well, the test you're thinking about failed, just like last time. But the other test worked beautifully."
Cinder spent the night snuggled in Marshall's paws. Everest agreed, slightly too eagerly, to watch over Augie for the night.
In the morning, Cinder woke to birds tweeting. As her eyes fluttered open, she caught sight of Marshall slipping outside. Slowly, but elegantly, Cinder rose, stretched and followed her twin out the door.
Aren't you pushing things a bit much? Marshall mentally inquired as Cinder laid down next to him to watch the sunrise.
Are you telling me to back off? Cinder shot back.
No, but I know how mad you'll be if you re-injure yourself Marshall quipped.
And how mad would that be? Cinder playfully thought.
Marshall sent Cinder an image so ridiculously over the top that Cinder couldn't help it laugh. She was riding on a magic carpet, fire gushing from her paws like water onto everything in sight, evil cackle included. Isn't that a bit much? Cinder thought when she stopped laughing.
I never underestimate your anger Marshall replied solemnly.
Probably a good thing I couldn't actually do that then Cinder giggled. Jokes aside, what are we going to do today?
The dream had us skipping the day Marshall replied thoughtfully. By now, they viewed the prognostic dreams as a fact of life. I think we should do the same and see what the next day holds.
And have the conversation with Gizmo as well Cinder reminded him.
Definitely can't forget that Marshall replied.
"Good morning." Chase's greeting interrupted the twin's plotting.
"Hey Chase, how are you?" Marshall asked his brother.
"Tired," Chase replied, "I haven't been sleeping well."
"I'm sorry to hear that," Cinder softly replied, biting back any comments about that being self-inflicted.
"I'm sure it will pass soon," Marshall added judiciously.
"Yeah? Why is that?" Chase challenged; his underlying bad mood self-evident.
"Because eventually your body will decide it has had enough and you'll actually sleep," Marshall deftly side-stepped the challenge.
"Can I skip to that part?" Chase asked with a sigh.
"Just maybe," Marshall said with a knowing grin, "if you work out until you drop."
"Don't tempt me," Chase groaned.
"I think it is that time," Cinder softly teased. "You should go wake everyone."
As Chase walked away and barked out his megaphone, Cinder turned to Marshall. How long is he going to hold onto this grudge?
No telling Marshall replied back with a shrug as they rose and walked back.
You know who he is sort of acting like? Cinder asked before sending Marshall a picture to answer the question.
Hmmm, you are right, that gives me an idea Marshall replied thoughtfully. At that moment, the twins saw Augie staggering out of Everest's pup house, with a terrified look on his face.
"No, I'm ga-good Ev-Everest," Augie stammered as he slowly backed away from the door.
"Nonsense," Everest replied with a suspicious smile on her muzzle as she exited her pup house. "You can barely hold yourself up, much less walk."
"I'll m-manage," Augie replied bravely.
"I've got you," Marshall said as he bounded up and scooped the jet-black Belgian shepherd onto his back. The relief was visible as Augie relaxed as Marshall carried him to the grass.
"What did you do to him?" Cinder softly accosted the lovely lavender husky.
"Nothing," Everest replied sweetly, "other than tell him in exquisite detail what I would do to him if he broke your heart."
"You are as bad as Marshall," Cinder softly groaned with a roll of her eyes.
"I think you mean as loving of you as Marshall," Everest giggled as the two of them joined the others on the grass. Augie visibly shrank back from Everest as she passed, much to the husky's amusement.
After going through their morning routine and breakfast, Marshall and Cinder went looking for Gizmo. Eventually, they found him resting by the cliffside and staring out into the ocean.
Gizmo's ears perked up and he swiveled his head to look at the Dalmatians as they approached. Recognizing them, he rose to his paws. "Oh, hi Marshall, Cinder. I was hoping we could talk."
"We were as well," Cinder began. She was about to continue when Gizmo forestalled her.
"I just wanted to say I'm sorry about what happened yesterday," Gizmo apologized. "When constructing my test, I focused all my efforts on preserving physical safety and not mental wellbeing. I was reckless and inconsiderate, and I wouldn't blame either of you for canceling the tests. I'm sorry for everything, and I hope you can forgive me."
Cinder and Marshall paused. Wait a minute… did you hear what I just heard? Marshall asked his twin.
Yeah…? He said exactly what he said in our dream, Cinder observed.
He did, Marshall concurred. He apologized for being reckless and inconsiderate. But he wasn't.
Wait, you're right, Cinder realized. Then what is he apologizing for?
Guess we will have to ask him and find out, Marshall stated.
We forgive you," both twins chorused synchronously. "But," Cinder amended, "we don't know what we're forgiving you for. You wanted to stop based on what you were seeing from my physical reaction. I was the one who was irresponsible in continuing."
Immediately Gizmo froze. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He bore an expression of confusion and horror which neither of the twins had seen before. In all, it was a comical sight. After the longest five seconds of his life, Gizmo rubbed his eyes and shook his head. "Ugh… Sorry. I'm getting confused. You know how you sometimes have those dreams that are so lifelike that you get them mixed up with reality?"
The Dalmatians stole a glance at each other. They didn't even need to use their telepathy to know what the other was thinking.
"It's fine, don't worry about it," Marshall cut in, sidestepping the question. "The main reason we came to talk to you was to let you know that we're taking a break today. I hope you don't mind continuing tomorrow?"
"Thanks, guys," Gizmo smiled. "Tomorrow works fine. I'll see you then."
Marshall and Cinder nodded and started walking towards the Lookout. Well, do you believe him? Marshall inquired.
No. I don't.
I'm not sure I do either. But you have to admit it's not impossible. How else can you explain him knowing what happened in our shared dream?
He could be the one making us have these dreams. Think about it: we started having these dreams right before he asked us if we wanted to run the tests. Maybe it's an extra test that he's running without us knowing.
I admit that the timing seems weird, but the first dream happened over two weeks ago. And if he's causing them, then how does he know what's going to happen in the future? If we were just sharing dreams, that would be one thing. But we're sharing dreams that are showing us what could have happened in the future if Augie had passed away. He couldn't have possibly known if he were causing the dreams. But if he's been having the same dreams that we've been having, it would also make sense why the tests were different. He knew what would happen and tried to stop you from having that panic attack.
Maybe you're right. But it still makes me suspicious. He's hiding something, and we need to figure out what. Until then, though, we run the tests like what happens in the dreams.
Rocky was looking for Augie. He found the jet-black Belgian Shepherd resting beneath the tree holding the tire swing. "Fancy taking a ride?" Rocky asked chipperly as he walked up.
"Ack!" Augie yelped in surprise, leaping to his paws, apparently ready to flee.
"Easy, buddy, easy," Rocky said gently as he tried to calm Augie down.
"Did something happen? Am I about to be taken care of?'" Augie panted, almost in a panic.
Rocky cocked his head to the side in curiosity. "No, not that I'm aware of."
"Oh, ok," Augie said, slightly calming down as he laid back down.
"Are you alright?" Rocky inquired as he laid down next to Augie. "You seem a bit skittish and tense."
"No, no, everything is fine," Augie replied unconvincingly.
"And I thought Marshall was a bad liar," Rocky teased.
Augie sighed deeply. "Can you keep a secret?"
"I kept my relationship with Gasket and our plan to destroy the Ruff Ruff Pack a secret for four months; I can probably handle it," Rocky replied with a balance of sarcasm and sincerity.
Augie looked around nervously before leaning in conspiratorially. "I don't know if I love Cinder."
"What makes you say that?" Rocky whispered back.
"I don't know. I've never been in love before, never had a girlfriend, I don't know what I'm feeling at all," Augie half-whimpered, half whispered. "But I don't know if I have a choice anymore; Marshall and Everest will kill me, resuscitate me, and then kill me again if I so much as mildly displease Cinder."
Rocky shook his head. "I think you might be missing the point."
"No, Everest was very explicit," Augie softly insisted.
"I'm sure she was," Rocky conceded, "and quite colorful if I had to guess." Augie nodded affirmatively. "Why do you think that is?"
"Because they love Cinder very much," Augie replied without hesitation.
"Exactly, so of course they don't want anything bad to happen to her," Rocky finished the thought. "But I think you are focusing too much on the what might happen. Part of being in a relationship is figuring it out."
"What do you mean?" Augie asked quizzically.
"Remember how I said I hid my relationship with Gasket for four months?" Rocky asked. Augie nodded. "The first month was getting her to not want to stab me on sight, the second month was to actually talk to me like a normal pup, the third was to actually like me, and then the fourth was when we actually started dating. Neither of us knew that was where it would end up on our first not-date. You don't always know right away; a relationship is something you two have to figure out together, something that develops, grows if you will, over time."
"It doesn't seem that way for Marshall and Everest or Chase and Skye," Augie countered.
"They've been at this longer than we have," Rocky reminded him. "And believe me, it took them a long, long time to figure it out. Skye was actually the one to ask Chase out. And Everest had to almost die for them to get together."
"I didn't know that," Augie admitted.
"Ask them to tell the story some time," Rocky advised with a nod. "My point, though, is to not look too far into the future. Focus on figuring out your relationship with Cinder, one day at a time. If you both give it an honest chance and it doesn't work, I have a hard time believing that you won't survive. If, on the other paw, you deliberately lie and lead her on, you'll probably get exactly what they have warned you about."
"I definitely fall into the first category," Augie said fervently. "I really like Cinder; she is amazing in so many ways. I just don't know if I love her enough to want to marry her."
"I would be worried if you did," Rocky replied good-naturedly. "A lifetime is a long time to promise to someone else, you need to be 9999% sure of yourself when you do. But the only way to figure that out is to date each other."
"We haven't actually gone on a date yet," Augie admitted ashamedly.
"You might want to fix that," Rocky said with a soft laugh.
"Got any ideas?" Augie asked hopefully.
"Sure, but I don't know if any of them would work on Cinder," Rocky caveated. "Dinner is always a good idea though. You just need to figure out where to take her."
"I think I can do that," Augie said, determination filling his eyes. The jet-black Belgian shepherd slowly stood.
"Are you ready to walk?" Rocky asked, "I can carry you if you are not."
"We are about to find out," Augie replied. Slowly, tentatively, he put one paw out to take a step, trying to smoothly transfer his weight between his paws. Another tentative step followed the first. Then another, and another. And then he stopped.
"Why did you stop?" Rocky asked, surprised.
Augie sighed. "I know what to do, and how to do it. My body just doesn't want to cooperate. I take few steps and it decides that I'm done. I feel the strain, in my back, like it is about to give out and I stop."
"Talk to Marshall, or Ryder," Rocky replied with a shrug, "I don't know much about healing pups. Now if you need a mechanical brace, I can make one for you."
"That might not be a bad idea," Augie replied, hope lingering in his voice. "It also bothers me that Cinder seems to be healing so much faster than me. It's like being here with Marshall and Everest and everyone else is giving her life."
"I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case," Rocky replied mystically. "There is something special about her bond with Marshall. I wouldn't worry about it, though; Marshall will take care of you. I mean, make sure you get healthy quick," Rocky hastily amended.
Both pups laughed at how the conversation had come full circle. At that moment, Zuma came wandering by. "What are you pups laughing about?"
"Just at how things are linked together, Zoom," Rocky said with a wave of his paw. "Have you seen Marshall, by chance?"
"No, do you need him?" Zuma asked, raising his paw to swipe his tag.
"I was hoping to talk to him," Augie said. "Can you help me find him?"
"Suwe thing dude, Wocky, can you give me a paw?" Zuma replied. Augie stood still while the chocolate Lab slipped under him and slowly stood up. Rocky helped Augie to balance on the slightly smaller pup's back.
"Ok, just take it slow, buddy," Rocky said as he stepped back.
Zuma slowly started walking away. He would occasionally lose he balance slightly and veer to the side but he caught himself each time.
Rocky shook his head in amusement. "They are going to be looking for a bit, aren't they?"
"Not that long," an amused voice answered him.
"You and Everest really did a number on him," Rocky said, turning to face the owner of the voice.
"You know as well as I do that subtlety is not Eve's strong suite," Marshall admitted as his head poked out from the bushes. "And I'll admit that letting her have unsupervised access to Augie for a whole night probably wasn't the best thing we could have done. But you did a good job of getting him back on track."
"Thanks," Rocky replied. "You know, you and Everest make this relationship thing look easy."
"You want to know how we do it?" Marshall asked. "We listen and talk to each other."
"You also make it sound easy," Rocky guffawed. "You should go somewhere to be found."
"One brother to another, you are doing just fine," Marshall said with a smile before his disappeared as silently as he had appeared.
"Quiet as a mouse," Rocky laughed to himself as he went to go find Gasket. Listen and talk to each other, huh? Rocky mused to himself.
Chase was up on the balcony of the Lookout, watching life pass in front of him.
"You going to stay up here forever?"
Chase spun around at the unexpected voice and found a pair of ice blue eyes staring back at him. "Everest? What are you doing up here?"
"Looking for you; you aren't that hard to find," Everest replied. Something in her voice turned the simple statement into a veiled jab.
"I've been busy," Chase replied defensively.
"I can see that," Everest scoffed. "All that time and you still haven't managed to pull your head put of your tail."
"That's not even possible. I'm not that flexible," Chase protested.
"Maybe that is your problem," Everest said with a shrug. "Maybe you've become too rigid and lost your daring edge."
"What do you mean?" Chase stammered. "Skye said I should be more like my young, daring self. But I haven't the faintest idea what she means."
"Guess you'll have to figure that out on your own," Everest said dismissively as she turned to leave.
"Everest… please," Chase whined. "I need help."
"No argument there," Everest replied dryly. "But do you want help?"
"Didn't I just say that?" Chase asked in confusion.
"No, you said you need help," Everest corrected. "You can need help, but not want it – not want to accept it. So, do you want help?"
Chase paused before answering. "Yes," he finally responded with a sigh, "I want help."
"Then I have a dare for you," Everest said turning back to look Chase right in the eyes. "I dare you to play a game with Gasket. Not against Gasket, but a game where you have to cooperate with her."
"What? I could never!" Chase practically spat back.
"You said you wanted help," Everest reminded him, "so put your paws where you mouth is. Sometimes you have to dare to be different." Everest turned to continue walking out.
"I won't play a game with that law breaker," Chase declared.
"Your loss," Everest said over her shoulder. "Probably for the best though; she'd probably beat you at something and then we'd be stuck playing it until you won your dignity back."
Chase opened his mouth to say something, but Everest had disappeared.
"How did it go?" Skye asked when Everest met her on the stairs.
"He's too easy to manipulate," Everest complained. "I'd give it a week at most."
"I hope you're right," Skye sighed.
"I guess we'll find out," Everest said as the two of them walked outside.
"Do we have to do this?" Gasket whined as the other two girls approached. Cinder was sitting beside her.
"Yes. We aren't giving you a choice," Everest replied as she walked over to Marshall's pup house. With a bark she changed it into his fire truck before jumping up into the cockpit. Cinder jumped up beside her while Skye and Gasket jumped in the back.
"Why Marshall's truck?" Gasket asked as Everest guided the truck down the driveway.
"Because all four of us won't fit in any other vehicle, except in the back of Rocky's truck," Everest replied. "And I don't know about you, but I have no desire to smell like whatever he keeps back there."
"Mostly parts; nothing organic that would start to smell, though he does have a really comfy couch…" Gasket stopped abruptly, realizing what she was sharing.
"Told you they made out in the back of his truck before," Everest snickered.
"I never said they didn't, I just said I wouldn't," Skye clarified.
"I mean, it is perfect; who would look for them back there?" Cinder added softly.
"Where are we going anyway?" Gasket asked, desperate to change the subject as she hid a blush that seemed to be creeping out the tufts of her fur.
"The park," Everest replied as they crossed the bridge. "We are going to play some games."
"What sort of games?" Gasket asked hopefully.
"Never have I ever, two truths and a lie, truth or dare. You know we have to figure out what exactly what you and formerly-innocent Rocky have been up to," Skye said with a knowing wink.
Gasket groaned and hid her muzzle in her paws.
"She's just kidding; we'll play actual games," Cinder softly giggled. "Just nothing with running for me."
"Good, you had me scared for a moment," Gasket replied as she let out a breath.
"The girls' night share and tell will come later," Cinder softly added, making Gasket groan again and Skye and Everest giggle.
Gizmo closed and locked the door to his room behind him with a click. Lying down on the bed Ryder had provided for him, he ran through the events of the past few days. Though many things had been the same, the small differences were what stuck out to him the most. Today was different, though. In the previous timeline, he had gone back to his own universe to prepare for the test. This time, though, he had decided to stick around Adventure Bay. Reenacting days he had already participated in was difficult, so any break he could get was a welcome change. Especially after his mistake that morning.
Because he had gotten too used to simply parroting the lines his past-self had said, he completely forgot to account for the changes in the timeline. "How could I have been so stupid?" the Labrador groaned out loud. If they didn't suspect anything before, they certainly had reason to now. But he couldn't dwell on that yet. He had work that needed to be done.
Activating his electromagnetic shoes, Gizmo climbed up the wall and deftly deactivated the cloaking shield on his pup pack which he had left hanging from the ceiling. He quickly slipped it on and tightened the strap around his waist. Nimbly and swiftly, he dropped to the ground, using the electromagnetic repulsors to land without a sound.
"They may be smart, but there's no way they're getting the jump on me again," Gizmo resolved, activating his pup pack's time machine. "I just need to make a few preparations…"
And with that, the time traveler vanished in a flash of light.
The next day, after the morning routine and breakfast, they met Gizmo in front of the Lookout and drove up together. Once again, they walked into the testing room. This time, the door on the other side was open. The room inside was empty, just like the others.
"Alright, today's test is going to be a bit different…" Gizmo began.
Once again, Cinder half tuned him out, having already heard all of this once before.
"I don't know what could happen, but it could have dire consequences," Gizmo finished.
Cinder narrowed her eyes. "What could possibly be so dangerous about trying to mentally talk in a hypothetical conversation?" she softly inquired.
"Just trust me, please. I can't tell you why, but trust me when I tell you that it's very important."
"How are we hearing this hypothetical other conversation?" Marshall asked skeptically.
Gizmo shuffled his forepaws uncomfortably, "I just want to try something. I have no idea if it will work or not, but please just trust me."
"Always a difficult thing to ask," Cinder replied softly.
"I know…" the Labrador sighed. "I'll tell you what. Do you remember those inventions I told you that I can't tell you about for personal and public safety? Well, how you're hearing it is based on one of those."
"Which is why you can't tell us anything," Marshall finished. Gizmo nodded in confirmation.
Are you ready? Marshall gently asked. You did almost have a heart attack during the last test even knowing what would happen.
I'll be ok Cinder assured him. Either I'm going to go back in the past and hear us arguing, or not. If I do, you know what to do. Marshall barely perceptibly nodded in response.
"Ok, I'm ready," Cinder softly said.
"As I mentioned before, the nature of this test means you have to be completely separated from us. That means we won't have any means of communication, we won't be able to see your heartbeat, and we won't have any other monitors," Gizmo cautioned. "However, if you start to freak out, you can stop the test at any time by pushing the red button beside the door. The test will stop immediately. Are you okay with that?"
"You better hope that nothing bad happens in those three minutes," Marshall muttered darkly, "Like anything that would prevent Cinder from stopping the test..."
"I don't have to hope," Gizmo reassured them. "I know nothing like that can happen."
"Ok, here goes," Cinder softly said as she stepped into the room. Gizmo closed the door behind her. For a moment, everything was so quiet, she could hear herself breathing. As she listened to the deafening silence, she was able to make out the humming sound from her dream as it steadily rose in pitch, as if a machine were powering up. After ten seconds, the flash Gizmo had mentioned occurred, turning the room a brilliant white. It was so bright that Cinder had to blink to get her eyes to adjust back to normal when it was over.
Nothing looked like it had changed, so Cinder started to listen. She compared it to being on a stakeout that Augie had once told her about. Listening, ear muffs on, not knowing when or if something would be said. It kept the constricting feeling away for now as she sat down to wait.
Cinder! Come back, I just want to talk!
Cinder's heart stopped for a moment. She dared not think. All she could do was keep listening.
No Marshall, she heard herself think, you and dad treat me like a glass egg and not a firefighter! You did the same thing yesterday, Marshall, and got hurt doing it; but because it was me, today, you are both freaking out!
Cinder! she heard Marshall desperately plead, don't shut me out…
She heard her silence answer her brother.
Please Cinder, she heard Marshall on the verge of tears.
Cinder felt the flashback take over her thoughts. She could see herself there, walking away from him and slamming the door to her room in his face.
Cinder let the flashback play in her head, acutely aware that she just had to wait it out. She couldn't think; couldn't do anything until the test was over.
Cinder was abruptly torn from her reverie as the bright light flashed again, indicating the end of the test. Cinder blinked the stars from her eyes as she stood, surprised at how many memories could fill a three-minute span of time. The door opened and she stepped out.
"Did you hear anything?" Gizmo asked with baited breath.
On my cue Cinder thought. "Oh, I heard something alright…" Cinder softly replied, her voice having a dangerous edge as she stalked towards Gizmo. "Something very specific…"
The time traveler held her gaze, surprised, but unafraid. Using his helmet, he telepathically activated his defensive gear. "Stay back," he cautioned without making a move. "I don't know what you're upset about, but don't come any closer. I won't hurt you, but I will use force if I have to."
"I know, which is why we won't let you," Cinder softly noted, cocking her head to the side.
Gizmo felt something sharp bite his behind. He whipped his head around and saw a dart sticking out of his hind quarter. Just past that, he saw Marshall with his tranquilizer gun sticking out of his…back? So predictably unpredictable… Gizmo thought as his vision started to swirl and he felt his body parts checking out. The last thing he saw was Cinder smiling victoriously at him before he lost consciousness.
A/N: Special thanks to RodentRacer for bringing his OCs Gizmo and crew into this world and his help writing and proofing this chapter!